“If one of the big drug companies takes it on, it could become cheaper. Or it could stay in the stratosphere. For now, new moms just have to be aware of what’s happening to them and reach out for help wherever they can. I think Vi misses breastfeeding. Some research says antidepressants won’t hurt a baby, or they won’t be transferred in breast milk, but Vi and Sammy’s pediatrician don’t want to take any chances.”
Jonas and another volunteer moved a stairway to give the illusion of a second floor onto the stage.
Daisy pointed to the chandelier near the stairway. “Jonas showed me the pulley apparatus for the chandelier. Keisha Washington, the stage manager, arranged all the props.”
“Is she the one who chose that oriental rug? It’s gorgeous.”
“Actually, Margaret chose that. Keisha said it blew their budget but she managed.”
As Daisy kept her gaze on Jonas, he moved an imitation fir tree into position while Jasper lined up another one.
“Are those the trees that fell on you?” Tessa asked.
“They are.”
“They have a solid base on them. Could they have fallen over on you?”
“The trees did what?” a male voice asked right over Daisy’s shoulder.
Daisy had taken a seat at the end of the aisle, and now she looked up straight into the eyes of Detective Rappaport. “I didn’t even hear you come down the aisle,” Daisy said.
Detective Morris Rappaport looked a bit rumpled, as if he’d had too much coffee and not enough sleep. He was wearing a black suit tonight with a white shirt. If he’d been wearing a tie, he’d long ago discarded it. The top two buttons of his shirt were open. He scowled at Daisy. “Detectives walk on cat feet, didn’t you know that?”
Daisy knew exactly what that meant. Her two cats were fast, and most of the time she didn’t hear them come into her room or leave.
“You learned that at the police academy?” she asked with amusement, trying to remove his scowl. She and Detective Rappaport had somewhat of a friendship, but tonight that wasn’t in evidence.
“You are trying to change the subject. I want an answer to my question.”
Looking as innocent as she could, Daisy asked, “What question?”
“I’ll arrest you for being coy if you don’t level with me.”
Tessa elbowed her. “You better tell the man what he wants to know.”
Tessa moved over a seat, and Daisy stood and did so too. Then she gestured to the aisle chair. “Why don’t you have a seat and watch the show. If you sit, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Still with a scowl, Detective Rappaport sat heavily on the padded chair. “Spill it.”
“It was an accident,” she said softly.
His eyes narrowed. “So tell me about the accident.”
“I dropped by to see Jonas and he was working on a set. He got called over to help someone and I was wandering around backstage. I probably shouldn’t have been. Two of those trees fell over on me.”
“They’re eight feet tall,” the detective noted. “Were you hurt?”
“Just a little banged up.”
Tessa interjected, “And a scrape with a bandage.”
“Why didn’t you or Jonas tell me about this?”
She looked him straight in the eye. “It didn’t seem important enough.”
He waved that comment away with one beefy hand. “Let me decide that.”
“What would Jonas or I have told you? Everybody was milling about. If someone did it, we had no idea who. And it could have simply been an accident.”
“But you don’t think it was.”
“I don’t know. Seriously, Detective Rappaport, I don’t. I’m attempting to stay uninvolved in this.”
“Have you given anyone the impression you’re involved?”
She knew she had to be honest with this man who had once been almost an enemy. But now she knew he had her back. “Rowan Vaughn asked me to look into who might want to hurt Margaret. After all, you’re looking at him as a suspect, aren’t you?”
“Can’t say,” the detective mumbled.
Daisy almost let out a groan. “Back to that, are we?”
“You were telling me about Vaughn? My guess is he wants you to solve the case in case we don’t. So what did you tell him?”
“I told him I’d talk to Vanna, and I’d talk with Glenda. That’s it. I did and I didn’t learn anything that will help.”
“Someone thinks you might have or those trees wouldn’t have fallen on you.”
“When did you get so cynical?”
“I was born cynical.”
She doubted that.
The curtains suddenly closed.
A few seconds later, Glenda emerged from the side of the stage in front of the curtain. She made a motion with her hand, probably to Ward Cooper, who was in the lighting booth. The lights dimmed and then the curtain reopened. The dress rehearsal began.
* * *
“It’s a mess,” Rappaport mumbled to Daisy in the middle of the first act. “Most of them can’t even remember their lines.”
“That’s because Glenda changed a lot of them.”
Daisy had been watching the play, but she’d also been watching the detective. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Glenda, who was still standing by the side of the stage watching every motion and listening to every word.
Rappaport grumbled, “Wouldn’t she make you nervous if you knew she was watching what you were doing?”
Tessa must have heard him because she answered, “The whole audience is going to be watching what they’re doing. That’s the point, Detective.”
He gave Tessa a look, then went back to staring at Glenda. Daisy couldn’t keep her question in check any longer. “Is Glenda a suspect?”
As if talking to himself, he mumbled, “Margaret stole a juicy role from her.”
“When was that?” Daisy asked.
Rappaport just shook his head.
“Do you know that Glenda and Margaret were rivals?” Daisy asked. “Do you think Glenda has a motive?”
Again the detective didn’t answer.
“Maybe they were rivals once,” Daisy said. “But Margaret and Glenda renewed their friendship after Margaret married Rowan.”
“What do you know about it?” the detective asked Daisy and Tessa.
“I don’t know much,” Tessa answered. “Just what I’ve heard from people coming in and out of the tea garden.
